🎵 AotW AOTW: Gap Mangione - Suite Lady (SP-4694)

[Captain Bacardi]

Gap Mangione
SUITE LADY
A&M SP-4694

Released 1978

Format: Vinyl/Cassette/8-Track

Produced by Larry Carlton

Songs:

• 1. Mellow Out! (Larry Carlton) - 5:19
  2. I Don't Know (Greg Mathieson) - 4:02
  3. Shh (Greg Mathieson) - 5:55
  4. You Can't Cry For Help (Paul Bogush, Jr.) - 3:34
  5. Sister Jo/Time Of The Season (Medley) (Gap Mangione/Rod Argent) - 5:27
  6. King Snake (Larry Carlton) - 6:34
  7. Suite Lady (Gap Mangione) - 7:13
  8. We Three (Scherzando) (Gap Mangione) - 1:29

Musicians:
Gap Mangione - ARP Synthesizer, Acoustic & Electric Pianos, Yamaha CS80 Synthesizer, Brass Arrangements
Larry Carlton - Guitars, Brass and String Arrangements
Robert "Pops" Popwell - Bass
Jeff Porcaro - Drums and Percussion
Joe Porcaro - Congas and Percussion
Greg Mathieson - Acoustic Piano, Fender Rhodes Piano
Chuck Findley - Trumpets
Bill Reichenbach, Jr. - Trombones
Abraham Laboriel - Bass (3, 7)
Peter Donald - Drums (3, 7)
Dan Sawyer - Tenor Sax and Harmonica (4)
Ralph Humphrey - Drums (5)
Mike Porcaro - Bass (6)
Vincent DeRosa - French Horns (8 )
Gerald Vinci - Concert Master

Recorded and Mixed at "Room 335", Hollywood, California
Engineered and Mixed by Larry Carlton
Second Engineer: Steve Carlton
Strings Recorded at Hollywood Sound Recorders, Hollywood, California
Engineered by John Guess
String Personnel Coordinator: Gerald Vinci
Mastered at A&M Recording Studios, Hollywood, California by Bernie Grundman

Art Direction: Roland Young
Design: Phil Shima
Photography: Raul Vega and Mark Hanauer



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Dave]

I'm unfortunately one of the "Never Heard Of This Album"-guys...!

...Unless, of course, just "skimming the needle" through each track counts...

A "Last Ditch" to put the "Gap"-name in the same league with "Brother Chuck", with guitarist Larry Carlton, as producer, and a move West to Larry's Room 335 Studios in West L.A., where he still produces and records to this day...

Well, soon as I find a copy, I should give this a "second wind"; surely something like Gap Mangione's original "Sister Jo" in a medley with The Zombies' "Time Of The Season" and "Suite Lady", the title-track, if I remember being done as a "suite" will turn me on... :goofygrin:

Though I gotta wonder about songs with titles, like: "You Can't Cry For Help", "Shh" and "We Three"--as INSTRUMENTALS?!

I'm sure this outing is also apt to sport a couple of Gap's "Acoustic Piano Ballads", too--maybe here sounding a bit like Pete Jolly...!!


Dave

...Sad Note about Larry Carlton's Room 335 Recording Studio: Mr. Carlton happened to be a victim of a random shooting outside of his studio; Fortunately he has since recovered from the gunshot wound... inkshield:

 

[Captain Bacardi]

From looking at the cover this would seem to be a pretty good album, especially with Larry Carlton as producer. I loved Carlton's work in the 70's and early 80's as a guitarist (Crusaders, Steely Dan and a solo artist). But this album is pretty much disco-ish instrumental thing, and it's pretty lame for the most part. Carlton's "Mellow Out" is a good example of this. I've been used to both the Crusaders version and Carlton's version, so Mangione's version is really bad. There is a bright spot or two here, especially "King Snake", where Carlton gets in some nice guitar work. The bluesy "I Don't Know" is a nice tune as well. But the rest of this album comes off as some kind of background muzak. 2 stars from me.



Capt. Bacardi